Alexander Zverev's anger attack against the referee shocked the tennis world: "Incredible.
Who does he think he is?”
Created: 02/24/2022, 05:34
By: Christoph Klaucke
Scandal from Alexander Zverev: The German tennis ace hits the referee's chair wildly - experts and fans are shocked.
The reactions summarized.
Update from February 23, 5:10 p.m .:
Alexander Zverev’s freak out shook the tennis world.
We've rounded up reactions from experts and fans alike.
"I've never seen it like this before.
Unsportsmanlike, unpredictable and dangerous,” writes
Zeit
journalist Max Boenke on Twitter.
"It doesn't get more embarrassing" or "Is that embarrassing!" mean
DAZN
commentator Benni Zander and
Sport1
editor-in-chief Pit Gottschalk.
"Incomprehensible.
Who does he think he is?” asks Dirk Adam of
Sports Illustrated
indignantly.
"Would really like to think it's great.
Unfortunately, it can't be done in this life," explains DAZN journalist Alex Schlueter.
“Reminder: Athletes should be role models.
Alexander Zverev does not do it justice again," criticizes sports commentator Robby Hunke.
Alexander Zverev: Experts and tennis fans shocked after tantrum
“One might think that a huge story must have happened beforehand.
But no, Zverev only saw one ball out, the referee didn't.
That's it," summarizes a user on Twitter.
"I feel very sorry for the referee.
That must have consequences.
Slowly it's enough with the Ausraster.
I don't want him to play in big tournaments for Germany," demands another user.
Another observer goes even further: "If a footballer treated a referee like that, you wouldn't be far from a lifetime ban.
Zverev should do MMA or ideally go into therapy.” Zverev is now threatened with a ban of several weeks.
Internationally, Zverev has been viewed critically for a long time, as ATP investigations are still ongoing against him because of unproven allegations of violence from his ex-girlfriend Olga Scharypova.
At home, the image of the native of Hamburg had recently changed a bit.
The way in which Zverev won gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and always tried to convey how much this medal meant to him for Germany had increased his sympathy values significantly.
Alexander Zverev: Apology after anger attack on referee
Update from February 23, 2:30 p.m .:
Alex Zverev’s outburst of anger at the ATP tournament in Acapulco is making waves all over the sports world.
Now the 24-year-old has commented on the incidents himself!
"It's hard to put into words how much I regret my behavior during and after yesterday's doubles," Zverev wrote on Instagram: "I apologized privately to the chair umpire because my outburst to him was wrong and unacceptable, and I am." just disappointed in myself.”
The Olympic champion continued: "It just shouldn't have happened and there's no excuse.
I also want to apologize to the fans, the tournament and the sport that I love."
You know that he always gives everything on the pitch, "yesterday it was clearly too much," says the story post: "I'll use the coming days to think about my actions and I can make sure that that way." something doesn't happen again.
I'm sorry I disappointed you."
Alexander Zverev's Instagram post © Instagram/@alexzverev123
Alexander Zverev completely freaks out at the tournament, hits the referee's chair - and is disqualified
First report from February 23, 11 a.m.:
Acapulco - The ATP tournament in Acapulco is actually one of the favorite tournaments of Germany's tennis superstar Alexander Zverev.
But there was no sign of the Olympic champion being in a good mood at the last match.
After his outburst of anger following his defeat in doubles at the tournament in Acapulco, Zverev was also disqualified for singles.
Germany's best tennis player was out of control after the 2: 6, 6: 4, 6:10 with his Brazilian doubles partner Marcelo Melo against the British Lloyd Glasspool and the Finn Harri Heliovaara.
Alexander Zverev: Outburst of anger in Acapulco - tennis ace disqualified
Alexander Zverev hit his racket with full force on the referee's chair, on which the Italian referee Alessandro Germani
still sat.
Zverev just missed his feet and the referee flinched.
Then the 24-year-old sat down briefly, but could not be tamed.
He takes the fourth hit against the chair.
This is followed by wild insults against the meanwhile fleeing referee.
"How damn bad!?" Zverev yelled at him.
The fans reacted with a whistle concert.
Zverev had already mobbed the referee as "damn idiots" in the match after controversial decisions.
The men's organization ATP reacted to the freak out immediately and excluded Zverev from the further course of the tournament because of "unsportsmanlike conduct".
This means that the Olympic champion is disqualified for the round of 16 in the individual competition.
When the score was 6: 8 in the match tiebreak, Zverev's partner served, but the return landed in the area of the line.
Melo and Zverev are sure that the ball was out.
Referee Germani decides differently.
6:9 instead of 7:8 - and thus match points for Glasspool/Heliovaara.
Zverev completely freaks out and yells at the referee: "Look where the ball bounces!
It's 8:6 in the tie-break - look where the ball bounces!
For God's sake!
It's your line, it's your damn line!
Damn idiot!" What Zverev means by "your line": The ball landed on the right sideline, which is just a few meters from the referee's chair.
Alexander Zverev: Anger attack after night shift - Munich benefits from freak out
Zverev won the title at last year's top event, the tournament in Acapulco is considered one of his favorite tournaments.
Early on Tuesday morning he had won his first round singles match in a historic night shift against the American Jenson Brooksby after 3:20 hours 3:6, 7:6 (12:10), 6:2.
The game only ended at 4.55 a.m. local time - never before on the ATP tour had a match ended later.
Outburst of anger by Alexander Zverev: The tennis star hits the referee's chair with his racket.
© Eduardo Verdugo/dpa
In the round of 16, Hamburg's Zverev should have played against Peter Gojowczyk.
The 32-year-old from Munich is now in the quarter-finals without a fight.
(ck)
